Print Spooler Not Working On Windows? Fix

Your print jobs are failing because the Windows Print Spooler service has either crashed, become blocked by a corrupted file, or your PC is sending data to a non-existent device. We will walk through the four most common culprits to get your documents flowing again.

Why this happens

Most print issues occur when a single corrupted print job gets stuck, preventing all subsequent jobs from processing. Alternatively, Windows might be misdirecting your jobs to a phantom printer or the spooler service itself has stopped running.

Steps

1. 01
   Open Settings, go to Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners.
2. 02
   Select your printer, click Open print queue, then click the Printer menu and uncheck Use Printer Offline.
3. 03
   If the issue persists, press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
4. 04
   Right-click Print Spooler and click Stop.
5. 05
   Open File Explorer, paste C:/Windows/System32/spool/printers into the address bar, and delete all files inside that folder.
6. 06
   Return to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and click Start.
7. 07
   To stop Windows from auto-switching printers, go to Settings, Bluetooth and devices, Printers and scanners, and toggle off Let Windows manage my default printer.
8. 08
   Click your specific printer and select Set as default.
9. 09
   If printing still fails, remove the printer in Settings, then press Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and hit Enter.
10. 10
    Expand Print queues, right-click your printer, and select Uninstall device, then restart your PC to trigger a fresh driver install.

Still not working?

If the printer remains unresponsive after a clean driver install, check your network connection or USB cable. If you are on a business network, the issue may be a print server outage or a Group Policy restriction requiring your IT department's intervention.

Frequently asked questions

Will deleting files in the spool folder lose my documents?

Yes, clearing that folder removes any documents currently waiting in the print queue that failed to print. You will need to resend the print command from your application.

Why does Windows keep changing my default printer?

Windows 10 and 11 have a feature that automatically sets your last-used printer as the default. Turning off the 'Let Windows manage my default printer' setting stops this behavior.